This invention was made in the course of, or under, a contract with the United States Energy Research and Development Administration. The present invention relates generally to the catalytic hydrogenation (hydrotreating) of carbonaceous materials, particularly carbonaceous liquids having boiling points above about 300.degree. C.
A variety of chemical processes involve the hydrogenation of heavy high-boiling carbonaceous material to provide a lower boiling product. This catalytic hydrogenation is also called hydrotreating which can be achieved in either the liquid or the vapor phase. The present invention relates to an improved method for catalytic hydrogenation which is particularly applicable to the liquid phase catalytic hydrogenation of carbonaceous liquids derived from coal, oil shale, tar sands, etc., which contain sulfur in the form of either pyritic sulfur or organic sulfur or both. The subject method is applicable to the hydrogenation of sulfur-containing coal which has been dissolved or extracted in a solvent such as benzene or hydrogen donor solvents such as tetralin and may also be used for hydrotreating such liquids containing undissolved coal particles or mineral matter.